Killer On The Loose

When it comes to tickling the Ivories there are few , if any, better than Jerry Lee Lewis.
These two tracks are taken from Great Balls of Fire - a fantastic compilation of his Sun recordings.

He now becomes the third member of the Millionaire Quartet to feature on this blog after Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Only Elvis to go.

Jerry Lee of course laterly was equally at home thrashing out County numbers and I also have a terrific compilation - Best of thr Country Music Hall of Fame Hits on vinyl.
When re-filing my copy I've just found a Kris Kristofferson album I never knew I had - result!

Jerry Lee Lewis - Good Rockin' Tonight

Jerry Lee Lewis - Lovin' Up a Storm

Mexican Monday 3

Terri was a Mexican Girl and Mike Heron appears to have written a song about her.

This is taken from the same Demon Records Doing in Right compilation which includes Heather Myles (I Can See for Myles post 28/02/13)

All I know about this is from the sleeve notes.
I had a vague notion that he used to be in The Incredible String Band.
The sleeve notes advise that this is a standout track from an album of standout tracks Where the Mystics Sing (1996) which features The Incredible Acoustic Band.
Apparently you can hear the influence of Jack Kerouac.
I wasn't that taken the first time I heard this but I suspect that it may be a bit of a grower.


Mike Heron - Mexican Girl

Buckfast Tonic Wine

                                                 
                                                   

Anyone living in the West of Scotland will be familiar with Buckfast Tonic Wine aka Buckie originally  brewed by the monks from the palatial Abbey in Buckfastleigh in  Devon but now brewed, I believe, in an industrial estate in France.
About 95% of consumption takes place in Weegie land. It is extremely high in caffeine and has the desired result of getting tipplers off their faces and fairly violent very quickly.
A blight on society

Regular commentator George and I visited the Abbey  a few years back and on inquiring about purchasing a bottle of Buckie witnessed the Monk chappie produce a bottle from underneath the counter.I can't remember if we got it in a plain brown bag but you get the picture.

This background information is merely to emphasis the strangeness of a band from Washington DC waxing lyrical about consuming Buckie in Govanhill!

Purchased in St Andrews - the CD Living with the Living - not the Buckie!



Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - A Bottle of Buckie

George Jones R.I.P.

Just read the very sad news that the King of Country Music George Jones has passed on today  at the age of  81.

The word legend is very overused but it cannot be disputed that the man with one of the greatest voices of all time was a true legend.
The George and Elvis number used to feature on the greatest pub jukebox in the world in the Free Trade in Newcastle

George Jones - The Race is On

George Jones with Elvis Costello - Stranger in the House

Lady Eleanor

One of my greatest Internet discoveries has to be the Irish folk singer Eleanor McEvoy.

I first came across her doing a cover of the Stones Mother's Little Helper which completely blew me away. I think it has probably something to do with her Irish accent occasionally making itself heard.
This track can be got on her 2008 album Love Must be Tough which can be picked up for next to nothing and which I would thoroughly recommend.

I've now got 3 or 4 of her records including the excellent Yola from 2001 from which the second track is taken.

She is probably best known for the song Only a Woman's Heart which features in a number of soppy compilations - but don't let that put you off.

Eleanor McEvoy - Mother's Little Helper

Eleanor McEvoy - I Got You To See Me Through

Young Parisians

Young Parisians are so French
They like Patti Smith

So said Adam Ant - and who can blame them
I've now got the cliche in my mind's eye - the black polo necks (him floppy hair and John Lennon glasses, her blonde), the Gauloises, the Jean Paul Sarte books -you get the picture.

These tracks are taken from the anthology Land (1975 -2002)
Haven't got round to listening  to Disc 2 with the demos and live recordings.
Two tracks without sweary words (quite a challenge) on the extremely remote chance that my nephews ever check out this blog in a desire to increase their musical education.

Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot

Patti Smith - Ghost Dance

Who Sang That Song Again?

Many of you good folk out there will be familiar with this song.
However, I'll wager that most of you (me included) would be hard pushed to say who sang it

The New Radicals were an American band.Again I didn't know this associating the floppy hat on the  cover with the Verve, etc.

They were a one hit wonder band and if you acquire the 1996 album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too you can see why.
Purchased in the Fisherman's Mission in Mallaig (that's in Scotland George)

New Radicals - You Get What You Give

Mexican Monday 2

Welcome to the second edition of Mexican Monday.

It's Tex -Mex Supergroup time this week.
According to Wikipedia the Texas Tornados is a Tejano band. Its music is a fusion of rock, country and various Mexican styles.

Here are the mighty Flaco Jiminez (the man indirectly responsible for this series), Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender saying farewell to Mexico.

Regrettably I only have Freddy Fender's Sohn  from FSK's Son of Kraut Album on vinyl.

Texas Tornados - Adios Mexico

Paisley Buddies

                                       
                                                                 Paisley Abbey

Tickets to see Karine Polwart at Paisley Arts Centre popped through my letterbox yesterday.
In addition to being excited at the prospect of seeing her in concert again it got me thinking that I have never been to a concert in Paisley before.
This in turn led to me thinking about which Paisley artists I have music from and it would appear that I have enough for a mini-series.
I'm not sure about the legality of running two series at once so unlike Mexican Monday this one will have no specific day and will pop up sporadically.
You can't talk about music from Paisley without paying homage to the Governor - the late great Gerry Rafferty.
Here is a track from 1977's City to City - not the ubiquitous Baker Street but something for more impressive.
The Stealers Wheel track is more ubiquitous and is posted not because of it featuring in Reservoir Dogs but because it also features fellow Paisley buddy Joe Eagan.
The joke at the time of Gerry Rafferty's funeral was that the ushers were saying to the mourners "clowns to the left, jokers to the right"!

Gerry Rafferty - Right Down the Line


Stealers Wheel -Stuck in the Middle with You

All Quiet on the Weston Front

A little bit of Saturday Soul for you good folk courtesy of Kim Weston best known for her duet with Marvin Gaye - It Takes Two

I purchased the splendid album above in St Andrews.
Her real name is Agatha Natalie Weston - I suppose Kim is a bit more user friendly.
This album contains some of her Motown tracks from the early 60's.
She is still on the go apparently DJing and performing occasionally.

Here are two tracks for your listening pleasure:

Kim Weston - Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little)

Kim Weston - Another Train Coming

Buffalo Soldiers

Buffalo Springfield - the prequel of a Supergroup -THE original Country Rock Group. Not everybody's favourite genre but ok in my book.

Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Richie Furay , Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer (later replaced by Jim Messina) names that should pop up in any respectable record collection
According to the sleevenotes the very power of the individual writing and performing talents of the members was also the reason for  the breakup of the original group- an early Oasis if you will! (tongue firmly in cheek)

Here's a Stephen Stills number followed by Shakey

Purchased in Fort William.

Buffalo Springfield - For What Its Worth

Buffalo Springfield -I Am A Child

What's the Magic Number?

I bought the 2005 debut album by The Magic Numbers in a charity shop some time ago and played it a couple of times before filing it away where it was happily gathering dust.

I dusted in down and played it in the car today by way of research and was pleasantly surprised how good it was in a retro sort of a way.

They have an unusual band set up - a two brother/sister combination Romeo and Michele Stodart and Angela and Sean Gannon.
Amazon advises that they have had a couple of other albums but this is the only one that I can recall.

Enjoy

The Magic Numbers - Mornings Eleven

Double Vision

After a 5 year hiatus following the release of Tunnel of Love in 1987 , Bruce Springsteen released two albums Human Touch and Lucky Town at the same time in 1992.
He obviously had a lot of songs that he wanted to get out there but in my opinion they are two of his weaker albums and a single album incorporating half of the tracks from the two albums would probably have sufficed.

I bought the two of these in a wee charity shop in Gatehouse of Fleet which had an impressive array of CDs but which was manned by a couple of Tweedy Old Crows who looked down their noses at you.

The track I have selected is also covered by Kevin Montgomery and the Road Trippers on their Live! in Glasgow album recorded at King Tuts on Friday 27th June 2003 a concert which I had the pleasure of attending.
The Road Trippers consist of Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin from the Mavericks,Mike McAdam and the legendary Al Perkins on pedal steel.
Kevin is constantly on the road and is worth checking out.
His father co-wrote Heartbeat with Buddy Holly!

Bruce Springsteen - I Wish I Were Blind

Kevin Montgomery & The Road Trippers -I Wish I Were Blind

Neville Neville

The father of the English footballers Gary and Phil Neville goes by the splendid moniker of Neville Neville!

Disappointingly the father of Aaron,Art, Charles and Cyril appears to go by the slightly plainer title of Arthur Neville Sr.

I find the vocals of the  Neville's an acquired taste - a bit of a curate's egg.
I would struggle to get through an album in a oner but the occasional track here and there is always pleasant.
This Bobby D cover is from their 1989 album Yellow Moon.

Neville Brothers - With God On Our Side

Mexican Monday

Following my recent posting of Flaco Jiminez' The Free Mexican Airforce I have foolishly risen to the challenge of coming up with a Mexican Monday series.
It could well be a short one particularly as I have already posted Flaco and also Mexican Joe by Jim Reeves.

However I'll give it a go!
Here is a fairly obvious one for starters.
A song which contains two lines which are up there with the greatest lyrics of all time

Wish I was in Tijuana
Eating barbequed iguana

Much better than Mr Ridgeway's subsequent Camoflache nonsense

Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio

It's Super Group Time

I was going to post this after the Maryhillbillys and the Notting Hillbillies but decided that the link was a wee bit too tenuous.

From left to right here are Lefty, Otis,Lucky,Nelson and Charlie T Jr Wilbury perhaps one of the ultimate super groups.
This is probably their best known and indeed best track from Volume 1 from 1998.
There 2nd and final studio album was Volume 3 from 1990 after Lefty/Roy Orbison's death.
There was no Volume 2 which apparently is a dig of sorts to a bootleg that appeared in between the two albums

Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care

It Glows in the Dark

Until today the only Arcade Fire CD I owned was The Suburbs.
I've got copies of Funeral and Neon Bible but I'm not sure whether they count.
When I saw a copy of Neon Bible in my local Charity shop today therefore it was a bit of a no brainer.

I remember seeing them doing this track at Glastonbury on the telly and being pretty impressed

Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running

I could be wrong but I think this may be my first post from a Canadian band - more to follow

You Know More Crowded House Songs Than You Think

Or so the blurb for their Greatest Hits album went.

That's as maybe but I do not possess a solitary Crowded House album.

I do however have a couple of covers here and there including this by Andrea Zonn

This is from her 2003 album Love Goes On.
According to the sleevenotes "Elegantly combining bluegrass, country, Celtic and pop influences, Love Goes On features Andrea Zonn's crystalline soprano voice and superb fiddle playing on a gorgeous set of contemporary material"

So there you go!

Andrea Zonn - Weather With You

Accordion Crimes

Sorry to disappoint George but I own no Portuguese Accordion music.

His comments did however get me thinking as to who is the greatest living accordionist now that the Laird of Auchtermuchty Sir Jimmy Shand is no longer with us.
I give you two candidates;
The County Clare (as opposed to Galway!) lass Sharon Shannon. I saw her give a tremendous performance
at King Tuts many moons ago.
Then there is the Tex Mex wizard Flaco Jiminez who has played with Dwight Yoakam amongst others.

I think Flaco just shades it.

The Accordion Crimes in the post title is not a reference to the splendid tracks below but rather a recommendation for the excellent book by E Annie Proulx.


The Who -Squeeze Box

Sharon Shannon with Steve Earle - The Galway Girl

Flaco Jiminez - The Free Mexican Airforce

Electric Shock

I am somewhat apprehensive about this post as I know next to nothing about the Electronica genre unlike some of my esteemed colleagues whose details are on the right hand sidebar.

I've got a couple of Goldfrapp CDs although my favourite of her's is the hippy trippy Seventh Tree.
I also got this recently and it is rather good.

Interested to hear from those in the know as to others to check out

Ladyhawke - My Delirium

Ding Dong

Apologies for not posting yesterday but I was out raising a glass

I did not attend the George Square Thatcher Death Party but no-one in the second city of the Empire is shedding a tear

Drew from Across the Kitchen Table beat me  to the Hefner track and he eloquently highlighted her shortcomings

As the Guardian editorial puts it - Her Legacy is public division. private selfishness and a cult of greed that together shackle the human spirit

She has only been in Hell for 24 hours and already she has shut 3 furnaces!

Here's Mozza

Morrissey - Margaret on the Guillotine

Hillbilly Posh

From the rough and ready Maryhillbillys to something altoghether  more polished and posh the Notting Hillbillies (even spelt posher!)

From the 1990 album  Missing.... Presumed Having a Good Time here are the Notting Hillbillies consisting of Mark Knopfler, Steve Philips, Guy Fletcher and Brendan Crocker.
The sleeve notes describe Hillbilly as
1. Usually disparaging. An unsophisticate person
2. Another name for Country and Western

It's a decent enough album  (nothing special) but not particularly Country and Western

The Notting Hillbillies - Blues Stay Away from Me

A Glasgow Geography Lesson ....... of sorts

The Maryhillbillys are not actually from Maryhill, that quaint garden suburb of Glasgow, although their singer originates from there and their record "Meet the Maryhillbillys" is on Luna Records a Glasgow label.
No, they are  from St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia  not to be confused with St Kilda the Scottish island evacuated in the 1930.

The Maryhillbillys apparently proudly support and strongly promote:world peace,good company, country music, a few cold beers and then a good lie down. A mantra, I'm sure which we could all subscribe to!

Interesting facts about Maryhill - Jim Taggart  from the legendary STV Series Taggart (there's been a murder!) works out of Maryhill CID

                                 
                                   Maryhill Polis Station

Confusingly Partick Thistle do not play in Partick as I found out many years ago when I alighted from the subway at Partick looking for the ground!
No Firhill  (for thrills!) is situated in Maryhill hence the somewhat tongue in cheek nick name The Maryhill Magyars after the famous Hungarian national team from the 50s.

Partick Thistle are on a roll at the moment. Finalists in the Ramsden's Cup and looking odds on to be First Division champions.
Vera Cruise may have to update their homage

Maryhillbillys - Strangers in Town

Vera Cruise - The Last Time Partick Thistle Won

The Untouchables

The Untouchables were a band who briefly featured in the mid 80's

They featured on Stiff and were produced by Jerry Dammers.
I have this song on a Mojo Punk and Ska compilation but I don't think that they particularly fit neatly under either category.
I saw them at the time at Strathclyde Uni and as I recall it was a damn good night out.

Not to be confused with the Glasgow wallpaper shop of the same name - a visit to which does not constitute a good day out!

The Untouchables- I Spy (For the FBI)

The Merchant of Boston

Recently, we seem to have acquired a considerable number of Natalie Merchant albums - Mrs CC is a big fan and I happen to think she is rather good also.
I have had Blind Man's Zoo by 10,000 Maniacs on vinyl and  Ophelia for a while.
But more recently they have come pouring in

Here is the first rack from Tigerlilly her first solo album from 2005 and still one of her best

Natalie Merchant - San Andreas Fault

Navigator

Time for some Folk and two tracks from the excellent This is Navigator Records sampler from 2008 both featuring Orkney's finest Mr Kris Drever

The solo track could well be a homage to the record label. He also has an excellent solo album Mark the Hard Earth which is worth purchasing.
Drever, McCusker and Woomble are a sort of Scottish Folk supergroup, I suppose, who got together to record the album Before the Ruin.
John McCusker is the baldie fiddler you see with Phil Cunningham and Ally Bain at Hogmaney and is also, I believe, a member of Mark Knopfler's touring band.He is the current Mr Heidi Talbot and the former Mr Kate Rusby.
Roddy Woomble is/was lead singer of Idlewild - I'm not sure whether they are still on the go.
He has also recorded  an album called The Impossible Song and Other Songs and was the curator of the Ballad of the Book project.
His missus was in Sons and Daughters and they were sitting in the row in front of us at a recent John Prine concert!

Kris Drever - Navigator

Drever, McCusker and Woomble - Silver and Gold

Jah Will Be There

I had ticket number 0001 for Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart concert at Glasgow's Barrowland on 15th August 1994.

In an advanced state of excitement I walked up only to find that the concert had been moved to the Garage about half an hour's walk away.
The Garage was filled to the rafters and it was very hot and sweaty but it was without doubt one of the best concerts I have ever seen.
I was put in mind of this after recently purchasing the CD single of the track below

Rising above Bedlam and Take Me to God are two must have albums and if you have them I recommend that you give them a listen real soon.

According to t'Internet Mr Wobble got his name following Sid Viscious' drunken attempts to remember the name John Wardle

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart -Amor